4 out of 4 stars
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Into the Darkness is book number two in the Last Light Falling series by J. E. Plemons. Catastrophic events have rendered America helpless, and the leaders of this illustrious nation have sought help from nations such as Russia causing extreme civil unrest. Arena and her brother Gabe have been called by God for a purpose. Having completed one part of their mission, they make their way back home to figure out what else is in store for them.
Traveling through this apocalyptic landscape, Gabe and Arena stumble across a little girl named Allison. Allison’s mother has survived the events so far but is dying of cancer. Arena promises the mother to care for Allison, and the three continue towards home. Once there, they meet up with some of those with whom they started this journey. Two more are being held by Russian soldiers in a church in the area. Arena knows she must try to rescue them, and she succeeds, almost losing her life in the process. She then decides the group must leave the safety of the den that they have taken refuge in and go off in search of a rumor of Southern rebels where their faith, morality, and strength will be tested as never before.
This book was an absolute joy to read. One of the things that I enjoyed most was the author’s writing style. Mr. Plemons has a gift that few other authors, even those with best-sellers, possess. The descriptive words he uses to tell of different events or items left me speechless sometimes and chuckling others. For example, when Arena is discussing her brother’s gas, we read the following sentence. “I think I’d rather massage the anal gland of a skunk with my nose than breathe in his bouquet of flatulent perfume.” He uses this gift with words to help the readers genuinely relate and come to know the characters.
The pacing of this book is also perfect. The more suspenseful scenes are interspersed with some lighter moments where the author uses his descriptive phrases to keep the reader occupied. The author does a nice job at interjecting moments where we learn more about the characters themselves, adding another depth to a book that could otherwise fall flat. I felt a continuous pull to read more even during the lighter moments of the book.
The only negative I walk away with after reading this book is that I missed so much by not reading the first book. While I easily understood what was happening without having enjoyed the first book, there was so much that was hinted to have happened earlier that I found myself regretting not being able to understand what the characters suffered before arriving at this moment. I would not recommend this book to be read without having enjoyed the first novel Last Light Falling: The Covenant.
I do have a couple of cautions about this book that, while not subtracting from my delight or my score of the book, are worth mentioning to those who would want to read it. First, there is a fair amount of violence in this book. While it is tastefully done, this may not be appropriate for some teenage readers. Also, to those who do not like cliffhangers, you might not want to read this series. I will not give away any spoilers, but the ending does make you want to continue right on to the next book. Although I enjoyed this, I know some people are not fond of these types of endings.
It was with much sorrow that I reached the end of this book as I only wanted to continue on with the story. I must, therefore, rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. While there were a few minor editing mistakes here and there, it was nothing that distracted from the flow of the story. I immensely enjoyed being able to read and review this book, and I would recommend this series, starting with the first book, to anyone who enjoys a good apocalyptic read.
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Last Light Falling
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. Good job on the review. Congratulations to J.E. Plemons on such an obviously well written book.
